Quote:
With the Uncertainty principle, measuring a quantum system without effectively destroying it before the wavefunction is fully known, has been previously deemed virtually impossible. But now, they have directly measured the wavefunction of identical single photons for the first time without destroying the wavefunction.
If this is the case, (ie: no wavefunctions have been destroyed), then the measurement has been done to the system in a sort of quasi-real state (sort of 'inferred' reality). They talk of real and imaginary components comprising the end result.
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The reference to real and imaginary components in this context is mathematical.
A wavefunction is complex valued.
A complex number is in the form a+bi. "a" is the real part of the complex number, "b" is the imaginary part of the complex number. i=sqrt(-1)
Similarly a wavefunction is composed of real and imaginary components.
Mathematically the complex number
is the measurement.
Regards
Steven